Fixation
by elle emina
Summary: He watched her every day. He was obsessed. He was hopeless; and his love for her was destructive.
1. Chapter 1

**FIXATION**

* * *

><p><em>::<em>

_We'll do it all_

_Everything_

_On our own_

_We don't need anything_

_Or anyone_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me_

_And just forget the world_

_-_Chasing Cars_, _Snow Patrol

::

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

* * *

><p><em>He watches her.<em>

Every day_._

_He doesn't get tired of doing it. _

_And he thinks he'll never be._

_He's _obsessed_._

_He's hopeless._

_Every day, he waits for her._

…_waits for her outside her school until she comes._

_And wait again until she leaves._

_It's been like that for the past two weeks._

_He watches her._

_Her. _

Mikan Sakura_._

_Her long brown hair,_

_Her big amber eyes,_

_Her genuinely sweet and dazzling smile…_

_Just everything about her mesmerizes him._

_He craves for her every day._

_And he wants her… _

so fucking badly_._

**::**

**::**

"Mikan Sakura! Are you even listening to what I've been saying for the past fifteen minutes?"

Sleepy amber eyes abruptly snapped wide open at the sound of her friend's irate voice. Mikan straightened her back from slouching on her chair and guiltily turned to the woman sitting next to her.

"Sorry, Sumire. I didn't get much sleep last night but I was listening to you, I swear!" The brunette said sheepishly at the green-haired lady.

"Oh, yeah? And what was I talking about if you were really listening? You were practically sleeping on me while I was pouring my very fragile heart out here!" Sumire screeched.

Mikan rolled her eyes. Her friend could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"You and Koko broke up _again_ because you caught him at the video rental store with another girl. And before you gave Koko the chance to explain, you punched him in the face and then slapped the girl. And then you walked away and left and, uh … that's about it." Mikan finished complacently. "Did I miss anything?"

"Yes! You missed the part where that stupid woman was all over my Koko! She was linking arms with him!"

"I still think you should let Koko explain, love. All of these could be just a big misunderstanding on your part." Mikan tried to rationalize but looking at her friend's furious form, being rational was the last thing on Sumire's mind.

"Oh, I am _not_ misunderstanding anything, alright. He lied to me, Mikan. He freaking lied to my face! He said he can't go out that night because they were having this family dinner at their house. But he wasn't at his house and that woman was definitely _not_ family!" Sumire retorted furiously as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Mikan didn't know what to say to appease her friend or how to make light of the situation. Mikan never had a problem like this with her boyfriend before. She and Ruka almost never fought or argued with each other, actually. Nevertheless, she hated seeing her friend hurt like this. Koko and Sumire were both dear to her but if this really wasn't just a big misunderstanding then she'd have to skin Koko alive the next time she sees him.

Mikan moved her chair closer to Sumire and wrapped her arms around her friend's sobbing form to comfort her. Good thing there were only few people left in the cafeteria and most of them were too occupied to take notice on the broken hearted and hysterical Sumire.

"Don't you and Koko always get back together whenever you guys break up? You two always fight but you work things out again with each other sooner or later. Is that not possible now?" Mikan asked softly as she gently rubbed Sumire's back.

"I don't know… I've thought about it and realized that compared to this, the things Koko and I had fought about in the past are all really petty and shallow. They weren't big like thisone. I mean, for the past four years that we've been together, Koko had never cheated on me until now. It just goddamn hurts." Sumire said in between sobs.

Mikan tightened her embrace on her friend and let her weep in her arms. This was the first time Mikan saw Sumire so torn like this.

However, Sumire's tear-filled moment was swiftly interrupted by her Blackberry's loud ringtone.

"It's Koko…" Sumire muttered after she pulled away from Mikan to check the caller. The green-haired woman stared at the device on her hand with mixed emotions as it continued on ringing.

"I think you should answer it. Listen to what Koko has to say, at least give him that." Mikan stated reasonably.

Sumire nodded and then wiped the tears from her eyes. She let out a long anxious sigh before pressing the answer key on her phone. Sumire distanced herself from Mikan as she took the call and after a brief moment, she was back. Mikan watched her as she grabbed her bag and frantically rummaged through it for her hairbrush and the small pouch containing her make-up.

"So…?" Mikan prompted as Sumire begun fixing her hair and reapplying make-up on her face with great speed.

"Koko's here. He's waiting for me outside the school. He asked— no, _begged_ me to listen to him first before I finally cut him out of my life." Sumire then carelessly chucked her things back in her bag hurriedly after she was done with them. She turned to Mikan and asked,

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful as ever." The brunette answered loyally and honestly.

"Good. Because I've already made my decision. I'm going to make Koko choose me over that bitch. And I'm ready to give him another chance and forgive him if he promises me that it will never happen again."

Mikan frowned and opened her mouth to protest. It seemed to Mikan that Sumire was only making an impulsive decision at the moment and was not really thinking things through. But before she could voice out anything, Sumire raised her palm to stop her and continued, "Because I still love him so much, Mik. I don't want to lose him."

At that, Mikan could only do nothing but give her friend a small smile. Sumire left and Mikan was on her own.

She started to lose herself in her own thoughts as she wondered what she would do if she was in a similar situation as Sumire. Although it seemed very unlikely for Ruka to cheat on her, Mikan couldn't stop herself from wondering. What would she do? Would she be willing to forgive him and then accept him wholeheartedly again?

A bigger part of her said she wouldn't, and that somehow surprised her. Good thing that would never happen because she knew Ruka would never do something that would hurt her. They'd been together now for three years and Mikan could only count in one of her hands the times she and Ruka had fought with each other. Everyone knew, or at least those people who knew them that Ruka was the perfect guy and he and Mikan were perfect together. They were undoubtedly compatible and their friends could attest to that.

Mikan was hardly an expert in the love department but she knew her relationship with Ruka was ideal. It was almost flawless, in fact. Ruka was her first, and most probably the last, boyfriend. Mikan could already picture herself married to him ten years from now with at least two children in tow.

She was happy with Ruka. With him, she had her fairy tale romance. This was what she had always dreamed of since she was a young girl. But there were times when it bothered her a little at how they were always on the same page with each other. Mikan wouldn't admit it out loud but she was slightly bothered when her best friend Hotaru once commented that she and Ruka were a boring couple. She didn't take it seriously but it still made her ponder once in a while.

But then again, when she really took time to think about her relationship with Ruka, Mikan knew she wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. She'd rather have a boring and simple life with Ruka than a drama-filled and complicated one with someone else. It was simply not her cup of tea.

"Mikan,"

The brunette was pulled out of her trance when a gorgeous yet stoic-looking woman appeared in front of her.

"Hotaru! I haven't seen you all morning. Where have you been?" asked Mikan as her best friend took the seat across from her.

"I attended a seminar. What are you doing here? Don't you have class at this hour?" Hotaru narrowed her amethyst eyes at her suspiciously, "You're not cutting, are you?"

"No, of course not; Jinno isn't around today so we have free period." Mikan answered and then stuck her tongue out childishly.

"You're twenty and yet you still act like a child." Hotaru remarked before taking a bite on her crab sandwich.

"I'm only being youthful, Hotaru my love." Mikan grinned at her friend but the latter merely rolled her eyes.

"You should get yourself a boyfriend, best friend; someone who can loosen you up. You're way too uptight." Mikan watched her friend with glee and then continued, "You know, like Hayate. That guy's absolutely crazy about you."

Hotaru glared at her irritably, "Shut up. Don't make me throw up on you."

Mikan chuckled and decided to start a different topic. Mikan was usually the one who talked while Hotaru listened, or sometimes pretend to listen, and would comment or share her thoughts if she felt like it. That was how their special friendship worked through the years, basically.

"Did you get your new ID yet?" Hotaru asked after a while.

"Yes, Finally! I got it yesterday. I can't believe getting a new ID here can be such a hassle. It took a long time to process, too, and also cost me a thousand yen." Mikan whined.

"That will teach you a lesson not to lose it again." Hotaru said offhandedly.

"It's not like I lost it on purpose." Mikan grumbled. She had lost her school ID two weeks ago and looked for it everywhere. She even checked the Lost and Found office several times but had no luck finding the said item. She was guessing that she must've dropped it outside school when she was running late one morning and she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Whatever. Where's Mr. Bunny Boy, anyway? Isn't he like your shadow or something."

"Ruka has class at this time but we're meeting up later." Mikan answered and then added reproachfully, "And you really should stop calling him that when he's around. It's a cute nickname but it really annoys him."

"And I don't really care." The stoic woman said indifferently.

Mikan sighed and then brought up another topic and chattered away. Half an hour later, Ruka was out of his class and came to see her and Hotaru. Hotaru, despite having eaten snack just a while ago (and also because she was a gluttonous pig), wanted them to go to the newly opened restaurant that was just a few blocks away from the university. Mikan and Ruka could only do nothing but concede.

**::**

**::**

Aoi Hyuuga was brooding under the waiting shed outside her school as she waited for her brother to come pick her up.

She usually took the train or the bus on her way home but her fellow drama club members had decided to team up against her and made her the one to bring home the props. It was cruel, making a tiny girl like her carry all the heavy stuff; but they argued that she was rich enough to pay for a cab. She scowled. Next time, she wouldn't treat them out again for snacks. Being taken advantage of by other people was not on the list of things she wanted to achieve.

She thought about it and decided that taking a cab would cost her a lot, considering that their house was quite far from the university. She had the money but she didn't want to waste it just for her transport unless direly necessary. She could take the bus but she didn't want to walk at least a hundred meters to get to the bus station while carrying a huge heavy box; and even then, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't be standing inside. So the only best option she had was to text her brother and prayed to the angels in heaven that he was not busy and his mood was good enough to do her a favour.

The angels must have listened to her prayer because not a minute later after her text, her brother replied and said that he was on his way.

"Aoi!" A cheery voice suddenly called out.

Aoi turned around and smiled widely as she saw her senpai approaching.

Mikan Sakura was one of her favourite people in college.

Along with Mikan were her handsome boyfriend Ruka Nogi and her best friend Hotaru Imai.

"Mikan, hi!" She greeted happily. She turned to the brunette's companions and greeted them too.

"I haven't seen you in a while. What's up?" Mikan asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, I guess I've been busy with the drama club lately. I'm playing the lead role for the next play." The raven-haired girl grinned.

"That's so great, Aoi! I'll definitely go see it. Ruka will, too. Right, Ruka?" Mikan said excitedly and then turned to look up at her boyfriend.

Ruka smiled down at his girl, and then gently pinched her nose. Aoi noted at how the two looked so cute together, "Fine. We will." He turned to smile at Aoi and kindly said, "Save us the tickets, won't you?"

"Sure thing! You should also go, Hotaru." Aoi said to the stunning girl beside Mikan and then added mischievously, "Hayate would be ecstatic to see you. He's in the play, too."

As expected, Hotaru's face crinkled in obvious distaste. Mikan, Ruka, and Aoi laughed at her reaction.

"Why do you hate Hayate so much, Hotaru? He's not bad-looking and he really likes you a lot." Mikan said, playfully poking Hotaru on the side.

"And he compliments you every time he sees you. You're like, and I quote, the 'cool blue sky' to him." Ruka added gleefully.

"Hate to break the love, but I'm awfully hungry. If we don't get a table because of everyone's dillydallying, all of you will have to pay for my food every time we eat out for the next four weeks." Hotaru hissed, looking downright annoyed.

"Hungry? But you just ate." Mikan said to her best friend disbelievingly. Nonetheless, she turned to Aoi. "We're going out to eat. Wanna come?"

"Sorry, I can't go out with you guys today. I'm waiting for my brother. I asked him to pick me up because of all these stuff I have to bring home with me." Aoi pointed at the huge box on the ground behind her.

"I didn't know you have a brother, Aoi."

"Yeah, I do. He's—" Aoi got distracted when she saw the tall figure of her brother coming their way. "Ah, he's here." Aoi announced, somewhat surprised that her brother had actually stepped out of his vehicle. He didn't usually leave the car whenever he dropped her off or picked her up at school. He tried to avoid people as much as possible. He probably wanted to help her carry her stuff.

Everyone turned around to see Aoi's brother coming towards them. Aoi heard a couple of girls standing near them let out audible gasps as they shamelessly ogle at her brother. Other girls in the vicinity did double takes at seeing the raven-haired man and threw lingering glances. Aoi couldn't really blame these women for having such a reaction; her older brother was very good looking. She was somehow relieved that Mikan and Hotaru weren't the type to drool over handsome guys; probably because Mikan already had an equally handsome boyfriend while Hotaru was just simply Hotaru.

Aoi hoped girls wouldn't start flocking around his brother or try to hit on him. She was aware of how horrible her brother's temper could get. He also had no patience with women who annoy him.

When Natsume reached their little group, Aoi immediately took control of the situation.

"Guys, this is my older brother Natsume. Bro, these are my senpais. This is Mikan and her boyfriend, Ruka, and this is Hotaru." Aoi introduced rather quickly.

Her brother's face was blank and uninterested. Ruka gave a friendly smile and greeted, "Hey, man." Hotaru merely nodded in acknowledgement. Mikan, however, being the friendliest in the group, extended her hand to Natsume and said in a loud, cheery voice,

"Hi! It's nice to meet you! You're so lucky to have a sister like Aoi. She's such a sweetheart."

Natsume stared down at the brunette's smiling face; although his face was blank but at least he wasn't glaring like what he usually did when a random woman tried to talk to him. He then turned his gaze down at her extended hand that was still waiting for a handshake.

For a brief moment, Natsume merely stared at Mikan's hand. The brunette waited for him to take it. Aoi only stood there uncomfortably. She knew her brother didn't like to be touched.

Natsume brought his eyes back to Mikan's face again before he wordlessly turned his back on her, ignoring her outstretched hand. He proceeded to pick up the box on the ground and walked away from them as he returned back to his car.

Mikan blinked a few times, realizing that she had just been ignored. She put her hand down and then pouted like a child before muttering, "That was rude."

Aoi cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry about my brother. He's just, um… not really good with people." She said apologetically, her face turning slightly flushed.

"It's okay, Aoi. Don't worry about it," Mikan smiled sympathetically, "I think you should go after him now. Maybe he's just having a bad day or something. Ruka gets real grumpy too sometimes, especially when Hotaru blackmails him with his photos." At that, Ruka groaned while Hotaru smirked. Aoi couldn't help but laugh.

Aoi was somehow relieved that Mikan didn't seem that offended by Natsume's rudeness and simply opted not to take him seriously. Ruka and Hotaru also didn't seem fazed at all by her brother's behaviour.

"Yeah, I should probably go now. It was nice seeing you guys. Bye!" Aoi excused herself and hurriedly followed after her brother.

**::**

**::**

_She didn't remember him._

_She didn't remember him _at all_._

_He was annoyed._

…terribly annoyed.

_And that blonde guy standing so close to her,_

_Natsume wanted to beat him up until all of his bones are broken._

_He had wanted to do so ever since the first time Natsume saw him with Mikan._

_That bastard is always with _his _Mikan, _

_And Natsume hated every second of it._

_He's agitated whenever the blonde and Mikan act so intimate with each other._

_No other man should be so close to her like that._

_No one other than Natsume,_

…_Because _she belongs to him_ and no one else._

**::**

**::**

"Hey, girlfriend."

Mikan lifted her face up from the book she was reading and smiled when she saw Sumire taking the vacant seat at her table with an iced chai tea latte in hand. They were at a coffee shop just across the university where Mikan decided to finish reading the book for her literature class while she waited for Ruka.

Mikan immediately noticed the blissful, glowing look Sumire was emitting. "You're happy." Mikan remarked as she placed her book down on the table. "I haven't heard from you the past couple of days, but I'm guessing everything went well with you and Koko again…?"

Sumire's grin widened and said sheepishly, "You were right. Everything was just a big misunderstanding."

Mikan raised a brow as she sipped on her caramel frap. "'told ya… And then? What was that drama all about? And who was the woman you saw with Koko at the rental store?"

"It was his aunt! Koko's mom's cousin from Osaka came to visit them—"

"Oh, my god. What? That means you slapped Koko's aunt!" Mikan interrupted, unable to stop herself from bursting into laughter.

"I know!" Sumire started laughing hysterically as well. "I can't believe I slapped my boyfriend's aunt! And Koko wasn't lying to me either. He did have dinner with his family including his aunt, and then they went to rent some movies after and that's when I saw them. Koko's sister was with them that night, too; only she went to the convenience store next to the video rental store that's why I didn't see her."

"If only you let Koko explain first before you went Mike Tyson on his ass, you wouldn't have to bitch slap your future aunt-in-law."

"I know, I know! But I really wouldn't have thought she was Koko's aunt. I mean, she's hot, Mik! She looks younger and she's only eight years older than us. Apparently, she's also getting married. That's why she's here in Tokyo right now; she's shopping for her wedding gown…" Sumire went on talking about the recent progress in her relationship but Mikan got side-tracked when she caught a glimpse of the tall figure of a familiar raven haired man near the cashier. His back was on her so Mikan couldn't be sure who it was. But when he made a halfway turn to his right, Mikan had a view of half of his face and she was certain it was Aoi's brother. It was only two days ago when Aoi introduced him to her so Mikan hadn't forgotten what he looked like yet.

"Hey, that's Aoi's older brother, the guy in navy blue shirt." Mikan said in a low voice. Sumire glanced over her shoulders to look and her eyes instantly widened when she saw the man.

"_That's_ Aoi's brother? Oh, my God, Mikan. I think my ovaries just exploded." Sumire whispered in awe, her gaze fixed on Natsume. "What's his name?" Sumire then asked interestedly.

"Natsume. And may I just remind you that you have a boyfriend that you love and that you just recently made up with him after you falsely accused him of cheating on you?" Mikan threw her friend a disapproving look.

"Relax. I'll never cheat on Koko no matter how yummy the other guy is." Sumire ogled for a few more seconds before finally tearing her eyes away from the oblivious man.

"I wonder if all Hyuugas are hot." Her friend mused.

Mikan giggled and said, "He's a little strange, though."

"Oh? Strange how?" Sumire asked curiously.

"He ignored me, Ruka, and Hotaru when Aoi introduced him to us. And then he left without saying anything."

"That's rude." Sumire commented.

"Yeah, but we don't really know him. Maybe being sociable isn't his thing, which is kind of funny because his sister is a social butterfly."

"Hmm, maybe…" Sumire mumbled as she checked the time on her watch. "Damn. I almost lost track of the time. Sorry, Mik, I have to go now. Koko invited me to dinner with his family tonight. I still have to get home to change clothes. He's also going to formally introduce me to his aunt, and shit, it's making me nervous. I've been working on this long ass apology since last night. Koko actually found it amusing. That monkey." Sumire grumbled anxiously.

Mikan chuckled, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Sumire stood up, picked up her hand bag and her still half-full Latte. "Wish me luck, babe."

"Good luck," Mikan said and blew her friend a kiss. She watched Sumire until she was out of the door. Her gaze then shifted to the counter and saw that Natsume was still there, waiting in line. She didn't realize immediately that the man was also looking back at her until their eyes met.

Mikan was slightly taken aback at being caught staring but she quickly recovered. Instinctively, Mikan smiled and waved her hand at him. She didn't know what to expect when she did that, but she was still a little disappointed when the raven-haired ignored her for the second time. He didn't give her any kind of acknowledgement before he looked away from her.

Maybe he didn't remember her anymore. Mikan sighed and chose to let it go. She decided to get back on her book and continue where she left off earlier before Sumire came.

A few minutes later, Mikan was engrossed in her book when she was interrupted once more from her reading. She was startled when a slice of strawberry cheesecake was put on her table. She looked up and was more surprised to see Natsume standing in front of her.

"To apologize for my behaviour last time," Natsume stated casually in a deep, masculine voice.

Mikan stared at him and it took her a few seconds before she realized that he was referring to the dessert he placed on her table.

"Oh." So he _did_ remember her. "That's okay. You didn't have to get me anything." Mikan smiled and was genuinely amazed when this time, the man smiled back, albeit very faintly.

"Take it. I did get it for you." Natsume said, looking at her directly from where he stood.

"Okay, thank you very much for this, then. Strawberry cheesecake is actually my favourite dessert." Mikan said appreciatively. Natsume watched as she took the plate toward her and then she noticed the brewed coffee he was holding in his hand.

"You wanna share table? You can sit here if you want." Mikan gestured at the chair that Sumire had just vacated not long ago. Mikan was pretty sure he was going to decline, but he surprised her with his actions once again when he placed his coffee down on the table and occupied the seat across from her.

Well, this was interesting.

"Um, so, are you waiting for Aoi?" Mikan started conversationally. She began to dig in her free dessert.

"No. I was just in the area." He answered nonchalantly.

It was somewhat unnerving how the man kept his eyes on her, but Mikan chose to ignore it. Maybe he was just strange like that.

"What were you reading?" Natsume glanced pointedly at her book.

"Oh, it's for my lit class. I need to make a book review. It's The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Are you familiar with it?"

"No. I don't read fiction." Natsume answered briefly. Mikan was thrilled that she was actually conversing with him, although his answers were short, it was better than none at all.

"Eh? So what do you like reading?" She asked, trying to make the conversation flow, and at the same time, interested at getting to know him. Mikan couldn't help but compare but his personality was very different from his sister's. He seemed more reserved and serious.

He seemed to think about her question for a second and then answered, "Newspapers,"

Mikan couldn't help giggling, "Figures,"

"I read the newspaper too, but only the comic section." She said with a grin.

"Figures," Natsume mimicked. Mikan laughed. She was actually enjoying herself talking to this man. The same man who flat out ignored her when they were first introduced to each other.

"Are you still in college, Natsume? I didn't know Aoi has a brother until you came to pick her up a couple of days ago."

"I've graduated a few years back. I'm a photographer." He answered with his crimson eyes fixed on her. Mikan noted how he and Aoi had the same eyes but while Aoi's were more warm and lively, Natsume's were kind of dark and intimidating. If Mikan weren't used to socializing and facing all types of people, she would feel too daunted to make eye contact with him.

"Really? What kind of photos do you take? Pictures of people, like celebrities and models?" Mikan asked naively. She felt a little impudent for asking him a lot of questions but he didn't seem to mind so she went on and asked anyway.

"No, not people. Just… things I'm interested in." He replied simply before taking a sip of his black coffee.

"Ah…" Mikan slowly trailed off, slightly nodding her head. The side of Natsume's lips tugged upwards, forming a smirk, as he watched her.

She was about to ask another question when her cell phone beeped. She fished for the device inside her bag and saw a new message from Ruka. She quickly read the text.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave now. Ruka's class just ended. I'm meeting up with him." Mikan said apologetically when she turned to Natsume again, the smirk gone on his face and was instead replaced by an unreadable expression.

"Where are you meeting him? I can give you a ride. I don't mind." He offered.

"Oh, no, thanks. You don't have to. We're just meeting at the school library." She grinned, grateful for his kind offer nonetheless. "It's really nice talking to you, Natsume. And thanks again for the cheesecake." She said as she gathered her things before she stood up from her chair.

Natsume remained seated. He looked up at her and nodded his head.

"Bye!" She smiled before she walked off to the door.

On her way to the library, Mikan couldn't help thinking that Aoi's brother was surprisingly a nice guy; still a little strange but not rude as she first thought him to be.

And Mikan was pleased at her new discovery.

**::::**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Yes, Natsume is a stalker and yes, he's a bit crazy in the head. I was planning to post this fic next year but decided to have it posted today instead… because I want the date stamp to show 11-11-11. (Yep, I'm shallow like that.)

I know I should finish my other stories first before starting a new one, but please be patient with me. Momma ain't plannin' to abandon those shit. (Except maybe for Enemies with Benefits; I'm still thinking about it, because my old laptop crashed a few months ago and lost all the files. Now I'm using a new one but I no longer have the copies of the deleted chapters of EwB. I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have deleted them in the first place. Anyhow, I learned from my mistakes.)

Second chapter will be posted on Natsume's birthday (Nov. 27) **if** I get enough reviews for this. Teehee. I'm a shameless review whore, you guys.

**Disclaimer:** Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: **creepy and crazy Natsume. Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

><p><strong>FIXATION<strong>

::

_We'll do it all_

_Everything_

_On our own_

_We don't need anything_

_Or anyone_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me_

_And just forget the world_

_-_Chasing Cars_,_Snow Patrol

::

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

* * *

><p><em>He watches her.<em>

_She looks so happy._

_She's smiling and laughing…_

_And she looks so alive._

_But he's infuriated,_

_because she's with _that_ man again._

_Yet, he's still mesmerized._

_He always finds himself so mesmerized by her…_

_Over and over again._

_He wants her._

_He wants her._

_He fucking wants her._

_And he wants her to look only at him._

_He wants her to smile at him,_

_And laugh with him,_

_And be happy with him._

Only with him.

**::**

**::**

Mikan didn't know when exactly she started feeling slightly paranoid. She'd been feeling uneasy for unknown reasons as of late. Something was making her uncomfortable, especially whenever she finds herself alone in public places. She couldn't point out precisely what was wrong but she knew it was there, whatever it was.

If she didn't know any better, she would say she was being watched.

But she knew that it didn't make sense as everything seemed normal whenever she checked her surroundings. The people around her minded their own business and were not even paying her a bit of their attention.

She tried to brush off the heavy feeling at first, but then it got worse. She was almost positive someone was taking photos of her. 'Almost' because she had no concrete evidence to support her suspicion except that one time at the park. She was sitting leisurely on one of the benches as she watched the sunset when, out of the corner of her eyes, she suddenly caught a glimpse of someone in the crowd pointing a camera at her. When she turned to look, the person was gone. Mikan wasn't even sure if it was a man or a woman.

She sincerely hoped to God she was only imagining things. It was either that or she was going crazy.

"Hey, Mik,"

Mikan almost jumped out of her seat when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruka!" She yelped.

Ruka's brows furrowed. He looked at her worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You just surprised me, is all." She replied with a tensed smile.

Ruka didn't seem convinced by her answer. He occupied the empty chair beside her as his eyes lingered on her face, "Are you sure? You seem a little jumpy lately. Is something bothering you?"

Mikan heaved a sigh. She moved closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"No, I'm okay, really. This week has just been very stressful to me. What with all the surprise quizzes and papers to write. Jinno was also being such a pain in the ass. He gave me a C on my last report when I know I deserved an A… or at least a B+ for it." She said lamely.

Mikan had never mentioned to Ruka or to anyone else about her recent concerns. She didn't want him to worry about her especially when it was unnecessary. For all she knew, it could be just the stress that was causing her to feel restless.

And besides, what would she tell him? That she felt like someone was stalking her? That sounded ridiculous even inside her head.

"Jinno's a bully. But I know something that can cheer you up." Ruka said as he pulled something out of his back pocket.

"Aoi's play!" Mikan exclaimed when he handed her two rectangular tickets. Her mood effectively lightened up as she took them in her hands. "I can't believe I almost forgot about this. It's tonight!" She said excitedly.

"Yeah. I saw Aoi this morning and got our tickets." Ruka stated as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

"This is great. I really need a break from all of my schoolwork. I'll text Hotaru to come, too."

"Don't bother. I saw her at the library before I went here. I asked her but she said she can't go because she'll be busy preparing for her presentation on Monday."

"That girl… I haven't seen her since yesterday, and now she won't even take a couple of hours off to hang out with us." Mikan said disappointedly.

"Miss Einstein's too busy getting smart. But she also said she'll treat us out if her presentation turns out good, which I'm sure it will be."

"She said that? Then I'll make sure I get a reservation at that expensive Italian restaurant in Central Town." She grinned impishly.

Ruka chuckled and gently poked her forehead, "I doubt Hotaru will let us drag her there. I bet she'll only bring us to the school cafeteria and buy each of us a sandwich and a coke."

"Yeah. That sounds more like her. For a beautiful rich girl, Hotaru is a cheapskate." Mikan giggled, feeling much better than she had earlier now that she had someone she could talk with to help her ease her mind.

She and Ruka spent the remaining few hours before the play starts finishing Mikan's homework and then strolling around the campus. At around six pm, they arrived at the auditorium where the play was being held. The place was already filled with people. They settled on their assigned seating without any hassle; and Mikan was quite pleased that their seats were near the stage. Not a moment longer, the play had finally commenced and Mikan soon found herself too engrossed in the performance to care about anything else.

**::**

**::**

"Aoi! You were so great up there. I was so carried away by your Juliet." Mikan hugged her kouhai in congratulatory after she found the raven haired girl backstage along with the other actors.

The show was a success. It was a modern take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and the Drama Club had executed it very well. The audience clearly loved the presentation and gave it a standing ovation.

"Thanks, Mikan! I'm so glad you came." Aoi, still in her costume, said with a wide grin on her face.

"Of course! I wouldn't want to miss your first lead role." Mikan said happily and then added, "Too bad Hotaru didn't come. The play was great and you were amazing!"

Aoi laughed, her face blushing slightly from the compliment, "I wasn't that amazing. I almost forgot a line at one of my scenes."

"Really? It wasn't obvious." Mikan and Aoi talked for a little longer. Ruka, who was standing not far from them, also seemed to have been caught up in an animated conversation with Hayate.

"Did your family come to watch, too?" Mikan asked.

"Just my dad. He's probably still outside waiting for me. Natsume didn't want to come; this kind of thing bores him." Aoi shrugged.

Mikan suddenly remembered her last encounter with Aoi's brother and then nodded her head pensively, "Ah, yeah. He said he didn't like fiction."

"Huh? You mean my brother? He said that to you? When?" Aoi straightened up, a mixture of surprise and confusion apparent in her tone.

"Hm… It was a few weeks ago, I think. I saw him at the coffee shop across the school. We talked for a bit." Mikan replied, not quite getting the odd look that crossed the raven-haired girl's face.

"Anyway, you were really great, and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend."

Aoi then smiled and gave her a hug. After a while, she excused herself and went to disappear into the dressing room.

Mikan and Ruka eventually left the auditorium together. They were walking in silence to the school parking lot when Mikan heard something moved behind them. She ignored it as first since Ruka didn't seem to notice anything. But when they passed by the big tree at the centre of the parking area, she heard another sound of movement.

She glanced behind them but saw nothing. There were still a few people around aside from her and Ruka but they were heading at the opposite direction. Mikan continued to walk beside her boyfriend quietly. She was somehow relieved that several cars were still parked in the lot; that meant they weren't completely isolated.

They were already near Ruka's sedan when Mikan heard another noise from behind them again. She didn't know why her ears were so sensitive to that faint sound while Ruka didn't seem to hear anything at all.

Unable to ignore the chill that crept through her body, she frantically tugged Ruka's hand, "R-Ruka…"

Mikan didn't need a mirror to know that her face had paled in fear. She refused to look behind her again, afraid that she might see something supernatural. Like a ghost… or a psycho person holding an axe, maybe.

Ruka stopped on his tracks and looked to her. His brows knitted together when he saw her rigid form, "What's wrong?"

"I think someone's following us!" Mikan hissed as she pulled him closer.

Ruka frowned. Mikan fixed her eyes on her boyfriend's face as he turned to look behind them. The serious expression on his face suddenly turned into an amused one, and then he began to laugh, "Something's following us, alright. And it's really big and scary… and furry."

Mikan slowly turned around. She didn't notice it at first because she was looking straight ahead but when she let her gaze drop on the ground, she saw a small black cat standing just a couple of feet from them. Mikan felt her shoulders relaxed. She exhaled loudly in relief.

"We're being stalked by a kitty cat." She chuckled as she stared at the small animal, who was also eyeing her and Ruka intently.

Mikan dropped on her knees. She had always been fond of cats. But when she was about to reach out a hand to pat the cat's head, it hissed at her and then ran off.

"Rude cat," she grumbled. Somehow, the feline reminded her of a certain someone.

Ruka laughed as he pulled her up, "Come on, Mik. I'm hungry. Let's get dinner before I drop you home."

When they reached the car, instead of opening the door for her, Ruka pulled her body against his and claimed her lips.

Ruka was a good kisser. He was always gentle every time he touched her and Mikan enjoyed their make-out sessions, but tonight, she didn't feel like making the kiss last long. She still couldn't completely ignore that nagging feeling that someone was watching her, no matter how crazy that idea was.

She pulled away from Ruka and tried to mask her uneasiness with a cheeky grin, "I'm also hungry, Mr. Nogi; and as much as I enjoy your kisses, they don't fill my empty stomach. Come on now."

Ruka chuckled and opened the door for her.

**::**

**::**

_Fuck him!_

Fuck him to hell_._

_How dare that bastard touch her like that!_

_How dare he kiss her so freely!_

_That bastard's going to pay._

_Natsume will make sure of that._

_Mikan is his._

His.

_And no one else's._

_He's furious. _

_He wants to hit something… anything._

_His clenched fists whiten in rage._

_He lets out a deep breath._

_He needs to control himself… at least, for now._

_Watching her simply is not enough anymore._

_He has to make a move,_

…_Sooner better than later._

_Or else, she will be completely taken away by another man._

_And Natsume will die first before he let that happen._

**::**

**::**

Ruka was tired.

His last class for the day just ended and all he wanted to do right now was to go straight home, take a hot shower, and then drop dead on his bed. Now that all of his classes were major subjects, it required so much of his time and energy. He hardly even went to the gym nowadays; he used to work out regularly but since free time had become a scarcity, he would rather spend his with Mikan.

He then scowled at the thought of his girlfriend. He barely saw her today and their encounter didn't even last for more than five minutes since she was also busy with her classes.

After they went to see Aoi's play, they were once again piled up with schoolwork and weren't able to meet up as often as they used to. Midterm exams were just around the corner so the busy atmosphere in the campus was inevitable.

His musing was swiftly interrupted when his cell phone started ringing.

He grabbed the small device and checked the caller. It was one of his friends.

Ruka thought about ignoring the call but he knew Mochu would just continue ringing him until he picked up.

He exhaled and pressed the answer key, "What's up, Mochu?"

"_Hey, man, where you at right now?"_ The voice asked from the other line.

"Driving home, why?" Ruka answered, his eyes focused on the road while only one hand was gripping the steering wheel.

"_Lame. Go straight here at Kitsu's. We're having a house party!"_ Mochu shouted enthusiastically over the phone.

Ruka groaned. How his friends still find the time to party despite all the exams and deadlines to meet, Ruka had yet to know.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm already beat." He declined blatantly.

"_No! C'mon…! There will be unlimited booze and chicks! You know you want it!" _

Ruka sighed, "Should you really be partying right now? You just failed the last quiz in our Economics class. You might wanna rethink your decisions in life."

Mochu only laughed, seemingly unaffected by his remark, _"My decisions in life involve getting laid as much as possible. Life is short, you know. You should try getting some, too; so come over here now and let's score some chicks."_

"You seem to forget that I have a girlfriend." He deadpanned as he turned his car to the right at the end of the street.

"_Oh, don't worry. We won't tell Mikan."_

"Ass." Ruka said curtly; as if he would ever cheat on his girlfriend. The thought never even crossed his mind.

"_Fine, forget the chicks. Think of the booze. Let's get wasted!"_

"Sorry, man. I'm in front of my apartment now. Maybe next time." Ruka said defiantly as he pulled the car over to the driveway. Mochu complained and tried to convince him further but had given up eventually when the blonde remained adamant.

After the phone call ended, Ruka got out of his car.

He fiddled with his keys until he reached the front door of his unit. Automatically, his hand searched for the light switch on the wall once he had entered the room. When the place lit up, the sight that welcomed him left him frozen on his feet. The inside of his apartment had been thrashed. Everything was ransacked. The furniture and appliances were thrown all over the room.

Soon after Ruka recovered from his shock, he acted on instinct and grabbed the golf club he found lying on the floor and made it his weapon of choice in case the intruder was still inside. He took his phone out and quickly dialled the police hotline as he cautiously walked into the kitchen area.

After the brief call with the police, he dialled his landlord's number and also told him what happened while simultaneously trying his best to stay as calm as possible. While he waited for them to arrive, he searched the place for other damages, cursing under his breath all the while. It seemed that the intruder had already left long before he came home.

Ruka didn't know yet if there were things missing, but he guessed that the motive wasn't just a simple robbery. If it were, his DVD player, the flat screen television, his laptop and other appliances in the living room should've been gone by now; there was also no need for the robber to destroy the furniture and throw the contents of his refrigerator on the floor if he was just going to rob the place, unless that person had a lot of spare time in his hand.

Ruka entered the last room, his bedroom. And just like the others, it was also thoroughly thrashed. The things that were once on the study table were now lying all over the room. His clothes, pillows, books, bed sheets were all scattered around. He picked up the picture frame he found on the floor. It was his picture together with Mikan. The frame was broken and its glasses were shattered into pieces. It looked like it suffered from a serious beating.

The battered picture frame fell right out of his hand when he noticed something lying at the end of the bed.

His heartbeat was racing and his palms sweating as he neared over. He felt the blood drain from his face. With shaky hands, he lifted the unmoving body of his pet rabbit. The large bruise around its neck clearly indicated that it was suffocated to death.

**::**

**::**

A long sigh escaped Mikan's lips as she fiddled with the straw of her iced latte. She just couldn't stop worrying about Ruka. Someone had broken into her boyfriend's apartment two days ago and ransacked the whole place. The worst part was that Ruka's pet rabbit, Usagi, was also killed. Of course Ruka was more devastated at the death of his pet. Mikan knew how much he loved Usagi.

She couldn't help but feel hatred for whoever the intruder was. How could a person kill such a small and defenceless animal? It was plain cruel.

Ruka had already filed a police report and his landlord let him transfer to another vacant unit. Actually, if it were up to Mikan, she would want Ruka to find another apartment complex to live in.

The motive of the intruder was still unknown to them. Ruka said he was not missing any of his things, so it was obviously not robbery. The police came to investigate and tried to find any sort of evidence left by the intruder but found nothing. It was also highly possible that the person was wearing hand gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Tenants from other units were questioned but most of them were college students who were out during the day, so no one heard or saw anyone suspicious entered or left Ruka's unit.

The police asked Ruka if he knew anyone who could possibly hold a grudge against him but Ruka could think of no one. Mikan also thought the same. She couldn't think of anyone who would hate her boyfriend. Ruka was like the best guy around. Everyone found him likeable. So who on earth would hate him enough to destroy his place and kill his rabbit?

Mikan didn't realize that she was once again caught up in her own thoughts until someone called out her name.

"Mikan,"

She looked up and saw a pair of familiar crimson eyes fixed on her.

The brunette was startled but was able to compose herself quickly, "Oh hey, Natsume…" Mikan greeted listlessly to the tall raven haired man standing at the other end of her table while holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Mind if I sit here?" He gestured at the empty seat across from her, "There's no more vacant table around."

Mikan looked around and saw the place was indeed full of people and all tables were occupied. She must've been spacing out for quite some time as she didn't notice that the coffee shop had already become crowded.

Not one to turn down a person, Mikan turned again to Natsume and smiled graciously, "Sure, go ahead."

Natsume settled on the chair without another word and proceeded to sip on his cup.

"Waiting for Aoi?" She asked lamely. Mikan couldn't deny that she was feeling quite out of it at the moment and she was not being her usual lively self.

"No. I was just in the area." Natsume answered simply. He fixed his gaze on her for a moment before he asked, "You looked troubled. Are you okay?"

Mikan shrugged, "Yeah… well, no… not really,"

Natsume's forehead slightly creased as he looked at her, "What's wrong?"

The brunette hesitated for a second. She wouldn't usually blurt out her worries to a person she hardly knows but right now she just wanted someone to talk with. So Mikan found herself telling Natsume about the break in at her boyfriend's apartment while he listened to her attentively.

"…and Ruka's rabbit was also killed. It was so cruel." Mikan finished, looking distressed as she slumped on her chair.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Natsume said. Mikan smiled thankfully at him. He didn't speak much but she could sense the sincerity of his words, and that was enough to make her feel a little better.

"So many crooks are lurking around the neighbourhoods lately. It's not safe anymore…" She mused loudly.

Natsume nodded his head once in agreement and said, "Yes, so you should be careful too. Do you live alone?"

"Yeah, I do. But we have tight security in my apartment building, so I think I'll be okay."

"You still can't be sure. You have to double check your locks at night and when you leave your apartment."

Mikan couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her, "You sound like a parent."

He smirked, "I'm sure your parents would tell you the same thing."

"Hmm," Mikan paused for a short moment before she continued with a thoughtful smile on her face, "Yeah, I guess they would if they were still alive."

Natsume stiffened for a quick second and gave her a solemn look, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. It's been a long time." Mikan cut him short, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable. The death of her parents was a gloomy topic for her but Mikan didn't want to be pitied for it. She had also learned long ago how to cope with the loss of her parents, so it didn't devastate her anymore like it used to.

"How about you? Do you still live with your family?" She asked shortly to avoid an awkward silence to transpire.

Natsume leaned back on his chair and smiled slightly, "No. I live alone, too."

Mikan was about to comment when she saw Aoi came in through the door of the coffee shop.

"Hey, your sister's here." She told Natsume before she waved a hand and called her kouhai, "Aoi!"

**::**

**::**

Aoi promptly stopped on her tracks when something caught her eyes. Her gaze narrowed as she watched in bewilderment the two people sitting behind the glass windows of the coffee shop across the street.

As she stared longer, she was certain that she had not simply mistaken the man with the same hair colour as her. It was indeed her brother sharing a table with her senpai inside the café. And to say that Aoi was surprised was an absolute understatement.

The two seemed to be chatting quite amicably. Mikan was smiling but that was not an unusual sight for the brunette smiled at everyone she knew. What shocked Aoi mostly was the fact that her brother was actually smiling back and he seemed relaxed as he sat there while holding a cup in his hand. And right there and then, it struck her: her brother liked Mikan.

It was so easy for her to tell because nobody knew Natsume better than her and their father. There was no way for him to linger around a crowded place if there was no need for him to. He was also not the type to enjoy a random chat with the opposite sex. And as far as Aoi knew, her brother didn't like any form of socializing; he would tolerate it once in a while, but only when necessary.

And now, Aoi couldn't help but be worried.

Mikan was already committed to another guy, and that guy was also a friend of Aoi's. She didn't want her brother to cause problems in other people's relationship, and she didn't want him to get hurt in the process, either. When Mikan first mentioned to Aoi about her brief encounter with Natsume, Aoi thought it was odd but she didn't dwell on it much. But now she knew that it was more than a chance encounter between the two. As of the moment, she couldn't tell how serious her brother was about Mikan but obviously, he was getting out of his way—and not to mention, out of his comfort zone— just so he could interact with the girl.

Honestly though, Aoi was not at all sure if Natsume could handle intimate relationships. She knew he was not… _stable_ enough. Well, he had been for quite a long time now; he was actually doing pretty well. But still, there was no saying if or when he would break again. And if he did, it could cause a lot of damage to the people around him.

After a while of deliberating, Aoi decided to interrupt the two. She crossed the street and walked inside the coffee shop. As soon as she came in through the door, she heard her senpai called out her name.

A smile was instantly in place as she waved a hand. She couldn't see Natsume's facial expression since his back was facing hers but she noticed his form turned stiff as she walked to their table.

"Hi, Mikan!" She greeted when she reached them. She then turned to her brother and feigned surprise, "Natsume? What are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?"

Natsume simply threw her a glance before he answered in a stoic voice, "No."

Mikan let out a small giggle and said, "He likes the brewed coffee here."

Aoi's gaze shifted to the half-empty cup of black coffee on the table and then looked at her brother knowingly. Aoi knew Natsume didn't drink coffee. She had lived with him for a long time until he decided to move out of their house but not once did she see him drink coffee.

Natsume remained impassive and didn't contradict Mikan's statement. Instead, he rose from his seat and said to Mikan in his usual monotonous tone, "I'll go ahead now. I still have somewhere else to go."

Mikan nodded and smiled, "Okay. Take care, then. Thanks for listening to me."

Natsume then turned to Aoi. He didn't meet her gaze and only muttered her name to acknowledge her before he left and walked out of the café.

Aoi took the seat her brother had just vacated before she asked Mikan, "What was my brother doing here?"

Even though Aoi already had an idea of Natsume's motive, she still wanted to hear the reason her brother used to talk to Mikan.

The brunette shrugged, "He said he was just in the area."

Aoi stared curiously at her senpai. She knew Mikan could be dense sometimes, but couldn't this woman tell what her brother was really trying to do? Aoi sighed. She guessed Mikan only thought it was normal for people to approach and talk to her for no particular reason. Aoi also couldn't blame Mikan for being friendly with her brother; Mikan had no idea of Natsume's background. All Mikan knew was he was Aoi's brother and that fact alone was enough for her to trust him.

"Where's Ruka?" Aoi asked after a while.

"He's still in class." Mikan replied, her voice suddenly weary.

Aoi frowned and leaned closer, "Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Mikan let out a deep breath. As Mikan began relaying to her the recent incident with Ruka, Aoi felt her heartbeat slowing down. She didn't realize she had spaced out until Mikan reached for her hand.

"Aoi, are you okay? You're pale." Mikan asked worriedly.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry, I was just thinking of something." She stuttered and then continued, "So, um, the police still don't know who did it?"

"Yeah. They said they'd contact Ruka if they find out anything. But I think they'd already given up on the case."

"You said nothing was stolen?" Aoi asked.

"Yes, not even the money Ruka kept inside his drawer. The whole place was just thrashed and Ruka's rabbit was suffocated to death."

Aoi didn't know what to think. Natsume couldn't possibly be the one who broke into Ruka's apartment, could it? He just liked Mikan but it wasn't like he was in love with her or something, right? But she knew her brother. He had violent tendencies. He had done worst things in the past. He was not like any other normal twenty-four-year old male out there. Also, the timing was rather suspicious. Could it really be possible that, out of jealousy, he broke into Ruka's apartment and killed his pet?

But, no. It couldn't be him. Because if it were really him, then that would mean he was obsessed with Mikan and had been stalking her all these time. That sounded ridiculous. Her brother was not that crazy. So, no, there was no way it was Natsume. She should be ashamed of herself for even considering the possibility of it.

**::**

**::**

Aoi had been trying to call Natsume but her brother was not answering her calls. So it prompted Aoi to go to his apartment and see him herself. Although she had already told herself countless of times that Natsume had nothing to do with the break-in at Ruka's place, she was still feeling uneasy about it. Maybe it was the gut feeling, she didn't know. She just needed a confirmation from Natsume to ease her mind.

But when she reached his place, no one was answering the door. She turned the doorknob and was surprised to find out that it was unlocked. Maybe her brother just went out for a while to buy something from the store. She helped herself inside and settled on the couch in the living area.

Aoi had only been here a number of times since Natsume moved into this place a few years ago. It was usually her brother who went to their family house to visit her and their dad. The place was mostly neat and organized, save for a few magazines strewn here and there. Aoi then noticed the partly opened door next to Natsume's bedroom. She knew it was the room that served as Natsume's work place. Aoi hadn't been in there before. Out of curiosity, she decided to check out the place.

She scanned the room as she walked inside. There was a desktop computer standing in the corner, a wide table at the centre, different brands of cameras neatly placed on the shelf, and various equipment were lying around.

When she stopped beside the table, she saw photos scattered over it. A deep crease formed on her forehead as she stared at the photos. Her heartbeat began to race when she realized that all of them were pictures of Mikan. They were all candid shots and the subject obviously had no idea that someone was taking pictures of her. Some of the shots were taken from afar while the others were shot up close.

Her hand was slightly shaky as she took one photograph that depicted Mikan laughing with someone who was not included in the shot.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Aoi gasped at the sound of her brother's angry voice. She turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, glowering at her.

Aoi was rendered speechless at first by the intensity of her brother's glare. Before she could utter a word, Natsume had walked up to her and snatched the photo from her hand.

"Get out, Aoi." He hissed as he swiftly gathered all the photographs from the table.

Aoi frowned and grasped Natsume's arm but he just easily pushed her hand away. "What the hell, Natsume! How long have you been stalking Mikan?"

"This is none of your business. Now, leave." He growled angrily but the younger Hyuuga was undaunted, "You're my brother, she's my friend. Of course it's my business! Stop whatever you're doing! Mikan has a boyfriend, okay? They're both nice people so please leave them alone."

Natsume ignored her as he turned his back and proceeded to place the stack of photos inside the drawer.

"Were you the one who break into Ruka's apartment?" Aoi continued to ask fervently as she followed after her brother around the room. She noticed his shoulders tensed at the question but didn't say anything. Aoi didn't need him to say yes to know the answer.

She felt her face grew hot with anger and disbelief as she went on with her rant, "Do you have any idea what you've done? You could be put in jail! You destroyed Ruka's place and killed his pet. You freaking killed a harmless animal!" Aoi noticed his fists were already clenched tightly but didn't stop yelling at him. Her brother had already crossed the line and had obviously turned into a crazy stalker. He needed to be stopped as soon as possible, and it was her responsibility to do just that.

"My god, Natsume. You need help. I'm begging you. You need to stop or else, I'll tell dad—" Aoi was cut short when Natsume promptly turned to her and grabbed her arm brusquely. She winced at the tight grip of his hand but he didn't seem to care as he spoke to her in a dangerously low voice,

"You will not tell dad about any of this, get it?"

Aoi tried to remove her arm from his grasp but Natsume only tightened his grip, "Natsume, you're hurting—"

"I said do you get it?" He snapped, enunciating every word.

She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. She tried to contain a sob and murmured, "Y-Yes,"

"Good. Now, _leave_." He said as he let go of her arm. Aoi shuffled on her feet and hurriedly left the room and out of the apartment. She was panting heavily when she reached the bus stop and didn't realize until then that tears had already rolled down her cheeks. She touched her left arm and grimaced at the pain.

**::**

**::**

Aoi was still undecided as to what she should do about her brother. She was anxious about his behaviour. Clearly, Natsume had developed an unhealthy obsession with her friend. He had become so obsessed with Mikan that he was even stalking her, based on the photos she discovered at his apartment. She was still debating if she should tell their father about this. If their dad was informed, he would surely get worried and would ask Natsume to admit himself into rehab once again; maybe even force his son if he had to.

She was still shocked at the way Natsume acted yesterday. He had never hurt her before; yesterday was a first. But even so, she still cared about him immensely. He was her only brother; they were still family no matter what. But she had to do something. She knew she had to do something before Natsume could cause a more serious damage to the people around him.

She was worried about her brother, but Aoi was also worried about Mikan. Natsume had already done something horrible to Ruka just because he was jealous. Who knew what her brother would do next. Aoi couldn't just simply overlook this matter.

Aoi was abruptly pulled out of her trance when a car honked behind her. She turned around and saw a familiar black sedan approaching. The car stopped by her side and the window rolled down and revealed her brother.

"Hop in. I'll drive you home." Natsume said nonchalantly as if nothing happened between them the previous day.

Aoi blinked. She was just about to head home and was on her way to the bus stop. Natsume must have been waiting for her outside the school.

"Come on, Aoi." Her brother sighed when she remained unmoving on her spot. Aoi scrambled on her feet and wordlessly went to the other side of the car. As soon as she had settled herself in the passenger seat, Natsume drove off without further delay.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you." Natsume began, breaking the silence between them.

"It's okay," Aoi said, a little surprised by his apology. She subtly observed him. To be honest, she was still a little wary of him but he seemed calmer today, and she didn't want to let go of this opportunity. She could take this chance and try to talk to him about the problem at hand. "But, Natsume, what you're doing is not right."

Natsume didn't say anything and his face remained stoic as he drove. "Maybe," Aoi continued carefully, "Maybe you should go see a psychiatrist again…"

"There's no need for that. I'm going to stop." Natsume stated casually without removing his gaze in front of him.

Aoi watched him with uncertainty and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You don't have to worry about it anymore." Natsume faced her and, to her surprise, gave her a small smile before he turned his eyes back on the road.

Somehow, his words were enough for her to believe him. If he said he would stop, then she should not doubt him. He was still her brother after all, and she would trust him. Aoi felt her body relaxed as though a heavy burden was just lifted from her shoulders.

**::**

**::**

Mikan groaned. She mentally scolded herself for forgetting to bring an umbrella with her when she went to the mini grocery store a couple of streets away from her apartment. Now here she was, stranded under a waiting shed while the rain poured hard.

She guessed she just had to wait until the rain stopped or until she could get herself a cab. But she had been standing there for around ten minutes now and all the cabs that passed by her were occupied. She checked her watch and saw it was only seven-thirty in the evening. She sat on the bench with the two plastic bags that contained her groceries. It was still early so she wasn't worried yet, just a bit annoyed.

A few moments later, a black car stopped in front of the shed. Mikan straightened up as the window of the driver's side rolled down and saw the person inside.

It was Natsume.

"Stranded?" He asked as he eyed her.

Mikan smiled sheepishly and answered in a louder voice so he could hear her through the heavy rainfall, "Yeah, you could say that. I forgot to bring my umbrella."

And to her surprise, Natsume got out his car, getting wet in the process as he crossed the distance between her and his vehicle.

"I'll drive you home." He said simply as he took the two plastic bags in his hands. "Wait here," He told her before she could react and then he went to discard her groceries at the back seat of his car.

He had already removed his jacket when he returned to her side.

"Here," He said as he placed the article of clothing over her head.

"Oh, no. You don't have to. You'd get wet—" But the man ignored her and continued to guide her to the car. He opened the door to the passenger side and once she was settled inside, he hurried to the other side and got into the driver's seat.

Mikan bit her lip when she saw that he was drenched. She, on the other hand, was barely wet because she had his jacket to cover her. Although he didn't seem bothered that he had gotten soaked by the rain Mikan still felt guilty.

"Here, Natsume." She handed him her handkerchief and said apologetically, "You got wet, I'm so sorry,"

"Don't worry, I'll survive." He said in a somewhat teasing tone as he took the handkerchief and wiped the water on his face. "So, where do you live?" He asked as he started the engine.

Mikan told him the name of her street. She was thankful that she lived near the area; at least he wouldn't have to drive her very far. She wouldn't want to hassle him any further.

"Are you going somewhere, Natsume? I must be delaying you, sorry." Mikan fiddled with her hands, feeling slightly uncomfortable. They weren't even close friends yet and he was already doing her a favour.

"It's okay. I was just on my way home when I saw you. You're not delaying me." He said without taking his eyes off the road.

The ride didn't take long. Several minutes later, Natsume pulled over his car to the driveway in front of her apartment building. As Natsume reached for the plastic bags from the backseat Mikan still felt bad that he got wet because of her. She worried that he might catch a cold or something similar. His shirt was clinging onto his skin and his hair was damp. He must be feeling cold.

"Do you want to come in and have coffee? I mean, if you're not in a hurry or anything." Mikan asked. It was the least she could do. He could also dry himself to avoid catching a cold. She was sure she could find a shirt that would fit him so he could change his wet shirt. "But it's not brewed and not as good like the one they serve in the café. It's only instant…" She added, suddenly embarrassed.

Natsume stared at her for a second before a tiny smile formed on his lips.

"Instant coffee sounds nice."

**::::**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Holy cow, this is a long one. I didn't proofread this thoroughly though, so grammar errors and awkward paragraphs are everywhere. This fic was supposed to be a three-shot but when I made the story outline, it got so long and complicated that's why I decided to divide the whole thing into nine chapters (epilogue included).

I don't know when I'll update again but I'll _try_ to put up the next chapter before 2011 ends. I kinda find this story rather difficult to write compared to my other stories. It would help if you guys review, so I'd be motivated to write more. I would love to hear your thoughts about this fic. Lastly, thanks so much for the kind feedbacks on the first chapter. I'm actually quite glad to know that most of you find Natsume creepy, because that's exactly what I'm going for. Haha :)

PS. It's Natsume's birthday! Happy birthday, my love!

_11/27/2011_


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